4th Birthday Party

We held Annabelle a 4th birthday party today at Thrasher Park in Norcross at 2:00 p.m. I think the last time we visited this park was a few days before Sophia was born. I was very much pregnant!

Grandmama, Granddaddy, Uncle Matt, Aunt Meredith, Adam, Molly, Kelley, Wade, Pierce, Adie, Michelle (our next door neighbor) and her son Brandon joined us. It was quite a turnout considering I just sent out the invite Thursday night at 10 p.m. The kiddos played for awhile before we celebrated with cookie cake and cookie dough ice cream.


Unfortunately, Annabelle fell while climbing a ladder. The rung of the ladder went right between her crotch. She was in a lot of pain, but she sucked it up pretty well until everyone had left. We applied ice to her crotch while we were there. I was hoping no one was watching! She cried the entire way home, and she was afraid it would hurt to go tee tee on the potty. Then she couldn't hold it any longer and tee teed all over the floor at home. She was upset about it, but she realized it didn't hurt that bad after all so it made using the potty this evening a little easier. Her front bottom is turning black and blue though. Bless her heart! I'm not liking that we have her 4 year wellness checkup in a little over a week as I don't want anyone to think we're abusing our child!

She was not a big fan of her cookie cake at all. She only ate a few bites. Everyone else just about demolished their serving. I figured it had something to do with how she felt. But then we offered her some more this evening and she only ate a small piece. She asked for seconds but decided she would save that piece for tomorrow. I suspect now that it may have actually been a little rich for her liking. Nor was she very enthusiastic while opening presents. That is not like Annabelle at all.

For her 4th birthday party she received the following gifts: Disney princess fishing pole (from her Daddy), two pairs of crocs (from her Mommy), the 2009 version of the 50's Barbie (from Grandmama and Granddaddy), a pink bucket with her name on it, Legos, and a Kid's First Cookbook (from Uncle Matt, Aunt Meredith, Adam and Molly), and a Leap Frog Scribble & Write (from Kelley, Wade, Pierce and Adie).

Birthday Party Highlights:

1. I asked Annabelle this morning what she wanted to wear to her birthday party today. She said, "The shirt with the balloons on it." She immediately ran to her room to find it. She pulled out the birthday dress she wore for her 2nd birthday that still fits. I told her that it wasn't really appropriate for the playground. She seemed disappointed, so I mentioned to her that we could take it and she could wear it when we had cake and opened presents. Hence the smocked balloon dress in the above picture.

2. Annabelle wanted to open Grandmama and Granddaddy's present more than any others for some reason.

3. All a girl ever needs and wants in life is a new pair of shoes because the Crocs were a hit! She was more excited about her new shoes than anything.

4. "Daddy is going to take me fishing!" she told Molly while showing Molly her new fishing pole.

5. The Leap Frog Scribble & Write gained her attention by the end of the party. She told me later that was her favorite gift. Of course, she hasn't opened anything else, so that is sure to change!

Sleepover

I must be out of my mind! Planning Annabelle's first sleepover at our house the night before her 4th birthday! Guess who kept who up this evening? The one and only!

Annabelle! She was so excited to have her cousin Molly spend the night. She would NOT stop talking at bedtime even after I threatened that she would sleep in a different room.

Daddy decided to be the "cool parent" as he just told me. He told them they could whisper. "Daddy said we could whisper," Annabelle said. "They weren't supposed to tell you that," he just told me after I asked him, "you told them they could whisper?" I finally left Annabelle's room for the last time at 11:05 p.m. Here is to hoping they are finally asleep.

I am questioning now why I offered sippee cups of water at bedtime. Annabelle always gets a little water to sip on at bedtime, but I can tell that is not the case for Molly as she completely downed hers within minutes. I suspect I'll be up in the middle of the night for a few potty breaks. What was I thinking?

Then as we were turning out the lights, Molly said, "I cannot sleep with it pitch dark in here." Hubby and I just looked at each other as if to say, "What are we going to do." Then Molly piped in that she needed a little green or red light like you see from a t.v. that is turned off. Hubby improvised and grabbed a phone charger that set off the tiniest green light. Apparently, it did the trick.

And then Annabelle remembered that Molly hadn't gotten that stuff on her lips at bedtime. Annabelle has had a fever blister since late August that just won't go away. Molly decided she needed some on her lip as well because it was also hurting. I gave her Vaseline to "treat" her lip while Annabelle got some medicated Blistex.

So after a fun filled night of bathing Sophia (the girls helped), pizza, a short game of Trouble that only the girls played, castle, baths for the two oldest girls, hair styling and books, I'm off to bake some cupcakes for Annabelle's 4th birthday!

Did I mention that I had all three girls to myself while hubby drove to my parents house to borrow their queen air mattress? Fortunately, they all behaved themselves very well! The third was no harder than the two. That was, of course, until bedtime. And, I have my own child to thank for the late bedtime. But, we made do. Molly has been a sweet girl and a great listener. Of course, they typically are when they aren't your own, right?

Sophia Smiles

I know you need a little smile to brighten your day! Who doesn't? How about one from Sophia? This picture was taken on October 2nd on the sky buckets at Six Flags for Sophia's very first Six Flags trip. This was about the only thing she got to ride besides the carousel. And, they wouldn't even let me hold her on a horse on the carousel. I had to sit on a bench that I thought was more unsafe to get down from than the darn horse! Thank you frivolous lawsuits and stupid parents! She was a trooper while at Six Flags from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Of course, Annabelle was too! Annabelle rode her first roller coaster. She was not a big fan. I don't think she realized what she was getting herself into. After we got off she said, "It went too fast!" It did go pretty fast for a children's roller coaster. This was also the first year that Annabelle rode the sky buckets. She was apparently scared at first (according to Nonnie and Aunt Meredith as she rode with them), but she hasn't stopped talking about them.

Unfortunately, I don't see these smiles often enough because I am normally the one holding Sophia while reprimanding the oldest child for something, it is always something with Annabelle. Would someone with more than one kid please tell me how do you find the time to really enjoy the second? This is such a balancing act!

The Second Child . . .

1. Gets her diaper changed a lot less often than the first child ever did. I learned after the first child reached 18 months just how much tee tee those diapers can hold!

2. Wears spit-up stained hand-me-downs from the first child because her Mommy is too cheap to buy more clothes for the in between sizes and seasons because she will only fit into 3-6 month clothes for another few weeks (if that).

3. Is left to cry just a few minutes longer than the first child would have cried because Mommy is always tending to the non-stop talking first child. If the first child made the first peep, I was immediately at her side to pick her up.

4. Gets rocked to sleep just like her big sister! No crying it out here! Yet. Did you hear my whisper? I will never say never again after having children.

5. Is much more subdued than the first child, but she lets her opinion be known very quickly when she doesn't like something.

6. Wakes more often at night (at this age) than the first child.

7. May not get to nurse quite as long as the first. The nursing while tending to another child is wearing this Mommy out! Keeping up with the caloric intake is absurd!

8. Is the reason that her Mommy has literally only applied makeup maybe twice since she was born! Okay, maybe 4 more times than twice if you count those mornings we've actually made it to church. And I always wondered why my mom never wore makeup, not that she needed it, but doesn't every woman wear makeup?

9. Loves her Mommy very dearly. Right now at least.

10. Is a beautiful blessing from heaven (just like the first)!


Dear Sophia,

I love you dearly, and I wish I had the time to spend with you that I had with Annabelle when she was a baby. But, we still make do with the time we share. I'm on the same page with you sweet girl as I was the baby of the family too! Those second children have to stick together!

Right now you are definitely a Mommy's girl. You melt my heart when you look at me with those beautiful blue eyes. Your looks are so tender and loving and they seem to say, "I need you Mommy. I need you to hold me and comfort me." Of course, sometimes they say, "I need you to feed me NOW Mommy!"

I love you sweet girl, and I am looking forward to watching you grow into a beautiful and radiant young woman! And if you ever wonder one day why I never wear makeup, well, now you know!

Love always and forever,

Mommy

Separation Anxiety?

Separation anxiety? Already? At 5 months and 5 days of age? Seriously? Isn't she a bit young?

If I'm remembering correctly, Annabelle didn't have separation anxiety until she was closer to 8 or 9 months of age, which I believe is actually still a little early for separation anxiety.

And, if I'm recalling correctly, I believe I read (when Annabelle was a baby) that it was a good thing if a child has separation anxiety earlier rather than later because it shows the emotional attachment your child has to you because she has been taken care of and well loved. Of course, just like everything else that goes along with raising a child, it is just someone's theory, but it made sense to me.

Does this mean that Sophia has been tended to more and loved, hugged and snuggled more? I think not! I wish I could say they both have received equal attention as babies, but unfortunately, Sophia gets less time with Mommy than Annabelle got. I held Annabelle all of the time! Poor Sophia gets pushed aside sometimes for her older sister.

I found this statement on the parents.com website. "Far from something to be concerned about, stranger anxiety can be a sign of a healthy attachment to a primary caregiver, which is essential to emotional development."

Perhaps I am doing something right with this second child. I just miss those days of constant holding and snuggling with a baby. I guess life with a baby will never be the same with older children in the house. Just another reason to have a full house of kids, to make up for the lost time. Only kidding!

By the way, Sophia doesn't even like me to walk away from her when hubby or Grandmama or Granddaddy are holding her. These are all people that she sees often, so you think she'd be comfortable with them and not get upset when I leave the room for only a second. I guess she wants her food source in plain view at all times!

Miss Personality

It is as if she turned 5 months old and she now has to show her tempered personality!

If you take a toy away from Sophia (even for just a second), she will now exert herself with quite a little attitude. She immediately puts up a fuss about it. I knew that girl had a temper in her! It just disappeared for a little while until she was able to find it again.

And, if Mommy isn't the one rocking her to sleep at night, she will scream at the top of her lungs. That, of course, hasn't changed though. Once I have her in my arms though, the crying stops instantly. Annabelle didn't start that nonsense until her one year molars started pushing through around 14 months of age. Before then, hubby could rock her to sleep at night.

After we got past the initial colicky period, I would have sworn to you that Sophia is Annabelle's twin sister, just 3.5 years later. Apparently I was wrong in my assumption.

Why am I afraid that Sophia may be harder to raise than my oldest, stubborn and very independent child?

Oh, that's right! Because she seems to favor her Daddy quite a bit. Everyone says that no two children are ever alike and that one typically favors one parent while the other favors the other parent. Well, Annabelle hands down favors me! Miss Personality, on the other hand, favors her Daddy!

And, for the record, for the older folks out there (you know who you are...Grand somethings), if Annabelle tells you she wants a baby brother, do not assume I am pregnant! Hubby decided to plant that seed into her brain this evening. "Do you want a baby brother or baby sister?" he asked. "Huh?!?!" I said. Maybe he is actually opening up to the idea of another child? But, I've got news for him and everyone else...I need a few more years!

Snuggle Time

It has been awhile since I've scrapped. I just wish I had more time to make it more fancy and pretty. Annabelle loves the 8x8 photo book I made for her this summer with my past scrapbook creations, so I intend to make more pages for both girls so we can enjoy reading the books together to preserve all of those wonderful memories we have made together as a family.

Annabelle loves to snuggle with her little sis. I just wish she loved to snuggle with me! Every once in awhile she will surprise me and wrap those sweet little arms tightly around my neck. Last night we spent the night at Nonnie's house, and she cried to Nonnie that "I want Mommy! I want Mommy!" When I laid down next to her, she wrapped those little arms around me like she was never going to let go. I love it!

Of course, it didn't take her long to resort to her old roly poly self again!